KU LEUVEN. INSPIRING THE OUTSTANDING.

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Founded in 1425, KU Leuven has been a centre of learning

for almost six centuries. Today, it is Belgium’s highest-

ranked university as well as one of the oldest and most

renowned universities in Europe. KU Leuven is a leading

European research university and co-founder of the League

of European Research Universities (LERU). The university

offers a wide variety of internationally oriented programmes.

These programmes are supported by high-quality inter -

disciplinary research conducted at both the university

and its inter nationally acclaimed hospitals. Boasting an

outstanding central location in the heart of Europe, KU Leuven

offers a truly international experience, high-quality education,

world-class research, and cutting-edge innovation.

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KU LEUVEN UP CLOSE

A HIGHLY RANKED UNIVERSITY

#5#47#71

A RESEARCH-DRIVENUNIVERSITY

#6

#10in the Times Higher EducationWorld University Ranking (2017-2018)

in the QS World University Ranking (2017-2018)

in the Reuters World Ranking of Most Innovative Universities (2017)

in the EuropeanCommission Horizon 2020 programme

in the ERC grantsprogramme withover 110 projects

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A COMPREHENSIVEUNIVERSITY

78 bachelor’sprogrammes(74 taught in Dutch, 4 in English)

205 master’s programmes(141 taught in Dutch, 62 in English, 2 in French)

44 advancedmaster’sprogrammes(19 taught in Dutch, 24 in English and 1 in Spanish)

KU LEUVEN INNUMBERS

Founded in 1425

14 campuses in10 cities acrossFlanders

16 faculties

57,286 students

20,524 staffmembers

+250,000 alumni

OUR RESEARCH

7,296 researchers

475 millioneuros research expenses

5,098 PhD students

124 spin-offs

Last updated: February 2018

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A GLOBAL UNIVERSITY

KU Leuven is home to a vibrant community of international students andstaff members spread across its various campuses. 17% of the university’s57,000 students come from abroad, representing more than 160 countries.KU Leuven is a founding member of the League of European Research Universities (LERU), a select group of distinguished research-intensive universities that sets the standard for research in Europe. The university alsoworks with a select number of top-level partner institutions worldwide, and stimulates purposeful international mobility and intensive research cooperation. It continuously strives to integrate the local and internationalstudent and research communities on all its campuses through a variety of programmes and activities. Internationalisation is key in the policy of the university’s new board.

57,286 students

9,722 international students

163 different nationalities

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KU LEUVEN IS A MEMBER OF THESE DISTINGUISHED UNIVERSITY NETWORKS:

LERU

Members: University of Amsterdam, Universitat de Barcelona, Universityof Cambridge, University of Copenhagen, Trinity College Dublin, Universityof Edinburgh, University of Freiburg, Université de Genève, Universität Heidelberg, University of Helsinki, Universiteit Leiden, KU Leuven, ImperialCollege London, University College London, Lund University, University ofMilan, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, University of Oxford, Université Paris-Sud, Sorbonne University, University of Strasbourg,Utrecht University, University of Zurich

Coimbra Group

Members: Aarhus Universitet, Åbo Akademi University, Universitat deBarcelona, Universitetet i Bergen, Università di Bologna, University of Bristol, Eötvös Loránd University Budapest, Universidade de Coimbra, Trinity College Dublin, Durham University, University of Edinburgh, University of Galway, Université de Genève, Universität Göttingen, Universidad de Granada, Universität Graz, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Universität Heidelberg, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi, IstanbulUniversity, Universität Jena, Universität zu Köln, Uniwersytet JagiellónskiKraków, Universiteit Leiden, KU Leuven, Université catholique de Louvain,Université Montpellier, Università di Padova, Università di Pavia, Universitéde Poitiers, Charles University, Saint Petersburg State University, Universidad de Salamanca, Università di Siena, University of Tartu, Turunyliopisto, Uppsala universitet, Vilnius University, Universität Würzburg

Venice International University

Members: Boston College, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Duke University, European University St. Petersburg, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, KU Leuven, Ludwig Maximilians Universität,National Research Council of Italy, Tel Aviv University, Università luav di Venezia, University of Bordeaux, University of Lausanne, University of Padova, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Waseda University, TsinghuaUniversity, Metropolitan City of Venice

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WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH

KU Leuven boasts a strong international reputationfor research excellence. As a comprehensiveuniversity, it pursues curiosity-driven and strategicfrontier research as well as targeted and demand-driven research, all in an interdisciplinaryenvironment. KU Leuven has a strong record of securing funding from the most competitiveresearch funds, including the prestigious ERCGrants awarded by the European ResearchCouncil.

KU Leuven ranks sixth in the number of projectsunder the EU Horizon 2020 Programme, only preceded by Oxford, Cambridge, University College London, Copenhagen and Imperial College London. The university’s research out-put consistently ranks among Europe’s best. Since 2014, KU Leuven has acquired 238 projectsand around 132 million euros in funding fromHorizon 2020.

KU LEUVEN IN HORIZON 2020

238 projects

€ 132 million

TOP 10 HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS with regard to number of Horizon 2020 projects

UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITEIT

IMPERIAL COLLEGE

KU LEUVEN

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFT

UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

ETH ZÜRICH

EPFL LAUSANNE

217

223

210

139

150

132

134

132

103

125

NUMBER OF SIGNED PROJECTS, ECORDA H2020 DATABASE, SEPTEMBER 30, 2017

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400

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LABEL = BUDGET IN MILLION €

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Compared to 2005, KU Leuven has seen a growth in the number of citations to 315%. The number ofpublications also increased to 182%. The number ofresearchers increased to 131% by the end of 2016.

828,648 SCIE citations*

45,901 SCIE publications*

n NUMBER OF KU LEUVEN PUBLICATIONSn NUMBER OF KU LEUVEN CITATIONSn NUMBER OF KU LEUVEN

SENIOR ACADEMIC STAFF

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*BOF distribution key 2017

380%

330%

280%

230%

180%

130%

80%

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

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CUTTING EDGE INNOVATION AND

KU Leuven is a pioneer and leader in the valorization of research and innovation. The technology transfer office LRD(KU Leuven Research and Development) was one of the firstin Europe. LRD has a long tradition of collaboration with the industry, patenting, licencing, and creating spin-off companies.

KU Leuven is one of the most innovative universities in the world. It’s the only non-American university in the top 5(2017). One of the main reasons for this strong position isthe high number of publications, citations and patent filings.

THREE FAMOUS KU LEUVEN INNOVATIONS:

• Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)The international standard for securing digital information,e.g. on the internet, smartphones and online banking.

• Tenofovir The most widely used anti-HIV drug in the world. KU Leuven also has a long and renowned history in thedevelopment of other medicines.

• 3D printingKU Leuven was at the basis of the development andcommercialisation of 3D printing, thanks to its spin-offsMaterialise and LayerWise, among others.

REUTERS TOP 5Most innovative universities worldwide • 2017

1 Stanford University USA

2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) USA

3 Harvard University USA

4 University of Pennsylvania USA

5 KU Leuven Belgium

LRD IN FIGURES2017: 3,106 new contracts concluded

2017: € 72 million revenue from intellectual property

2005-2017: € 927 million external capital investment in spin-off portfolio

LRD'S IMPACT124 spin-off companies

6,700 direct jobs

7 IPO’s (Initial Public Offering)

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R&D

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At KU Leuven, research and education are inextricablylinked. The university's study programmes are research-based, which ensures that students acquire academicskills while also developing a critical and research-orientedattitude. Flexibility and state-of-the-art technology are integral to each study programme. A KU Leuven degreeoffers a significant competitive advantage and is highlyvalued around the world.

The ECTS quality label guarantees that all credits obtainedat KU Leuven are transparent and fully transferable.

• 78 bachelor’s programmes (74 taught in Dutch, 4 in English)

• 205 master’s programmes (141 taught in Dutch, 62 in English, 2 in French)

• 44 advanced master’s programmes (19 taught in Dutch, 24 in English and 1 in Spanish)

KU Leuven is a charter member of edX, an online learning platform and MOOC provider that offers high-qualitycourses from the world’s best universities and institutionsto learners everywhere. Since October 2015, KU Leuvenhas set up and successfully run 9 MOOC’s, with 18 runsin total.

• Most popular MOOC: Existential Well-being Counselling (16,564 learners)

• Total number of learners: >100,000 from over 170 different countries

NUMBER OF COURSES:

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HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION

IN DUTCH: > 7,000

IN ENGLISH: > 3,000

IN OTHER LANGUAGES: 50

TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 57,286

Bachelor 40.1%

Intitial Master 28.4%

Advanced Master 4.3%

Doctoral Programme 8.9%

Academic Teacher Training 0.5%

Other 17.8%

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TOP-LEVEL MEDICINE IN AN INNOVATIVE ENVIRONMENT

The academic University Hospitals Leuven are connected to KU Leuven. They are known as an international, leading medical centre and strive for highly technological and humane patient care. Patients with the most complex conditions from Belgium and abroad come toUniversity Hospitals Leuven. The Leuven transplant centre, for instance, is a prominent centrewith survival rates that are among the highest in the world. It is also renowned worldwide forfoetal surgery, endometriosis interventions and hereditary diseases. University Hospitals Leuven are currently working on a proton centre, an innovative form of radiotherapy that targets tumours with precision and spares healthy surrounding tissue.

Just like KU Leuven, University Hospitals Leuven also prioritize innovation. Researchers fromKU Leuven and physicians from University Hospitals Leuven work at walking distance fromeach other on the Health Science Campus. Researchers test their findings in the hospitals’labs and physicians count on substantiated scientific support in their search for the best possible treatment for patients. Students from KU Leuven also receive their training at the Health Science Campus. They learn first-hand from physicians and specialists teachingfrom experience. The combination of clinical care, research and training in a single locationcreates an inspiring interaction that, ultimately, always has one goal in mind: better patient care.

15,162,000 laboratory tests/year

419,200 radiological examinations/year

70,100 consultations/year

57,700 emergencies/year

57,500 hospital admissions/year

56,600 surgical procedures/year

28,300 kidney dialyses/year

>9,000 staff members

1,500 physicians

300 transplants/year

The Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI) is one of the centres where researchers,physicians and healthcare providers fromKU Leuven and the University HospitalsLeuven collaborate closely. Fundamentaland clinical researchers work in close cooperation to better understand cancerand develop new personalised therapies.These are customised treatments thatcombat tumours with even greater precisionand involve fewer side effects.

THE LKI IN 2017:Oncological inpatients: 63,316

Radiotherapy sessions: 40,923

Oncological patients: 35,210

Scientific publications: 969

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KU LEUVEN LIBRARIES

The KU Leuven Libraries play a crucial role in the university’s innovative and international researchpolicy through large-scale physical and electronic collections. They maintain unique heritage materials, provide state-of-the-art solutions for digitisation, visualisation and information management,and provide research data management and advice on copyright, Open Access and Open Data.

The KU Leuven Fund for Fair Open Access promotes the development of new and innovative publishing models that are cost-efficient and give the researchers complete control over the dissemination of their research results. Moreover, Fair Open Access strives to give the scientificcommunity full control over the publishing model by having the researchers themselves manageall legal rights.

The unique heritage collections of the KU Leuven Libraries are renowned worldwide. For instance,KU Leuven Libraries is working on the Khirbet Mird Papyri Project. In this project, an exceptionalcollection of old papyrus fragments (7th-8th century AD) from Khirbet Mird near Qumran by theDead Sea is digitised and preserved for textual research and scientific publication of the corpus.

Furthermore, the libraries house the renowned archive of the well-known philosopher Husserl, andtheir collection of books on religion and theology is second only to the Vatican (1,300,000 volumes,including the Anjou Bible).

Locations: 25

Staff members: 190

Total number of opening hours:854 hours/week

Visits: 3,099,700/year

Available seats for study and research: 4,964

Physical collection: 3,107,295 items

Digital collection: 355,562 items

Loans and renewals: 338,526/year

Full text downloads: 5,860,647/year

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KU LEUVEN’S IMPACT

KU Leuven researchers’ work has a significant impact all around the world and in a wide range of researchfields. In 2016, KU Leuven’s Gross Value Added amounted to over 7.4 billion euros and our university created almost 80,000 jobs*.

Below are just a few of KU Leuven’s success stories.

THE WORLD’S LARGEST BANANA COLLECTION

Banana research may seem trivial, but the banana is key to the daily nutrition of 1 billion people. At KU Leuven, we house the biggest collection of banana genes in the world. This collection contains bothedible and non-edible bananas from all over the world. Genetic diversity ensures that organisms are lesssusceptible to threats and KU Leuven helps maintain this diversity. Research is also being conducted intohow we can make our crops more nutritious, productive and resilient. KU Leuven has already distributedmore than 17,000 banana samples to researchers and farmers in over 109 countries.

ANGIOGENESIS

Our university is among the world’s best when it comes to research into angiogenesis, Greek for bloodvessel formation. Our researchers developed inhibitors that ensure tumours no longer receive oxygen or nutrients. In doing so, they are the moving force behind the development of a drug that slows the development of cancer. The researchers also contribute to studies on the muscular disorder ALS.

KU Leuven has a long tradition of developing innovative and effective medications. In 1979, our researchersisolated and characterised tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Administered as a medication, tPA treats heartattacks and strokes, and has saved numerous lives. Millions of patients have benefited from this medication.

SAGALASSOS

KU Leuven has been conducting interdisciplinary research on the archaeological site of Sagalassos, thatflourished under Greek and Roman rule, since 1990. Sagalassos is one of the best-preserved ancientcities thanks to its location at a high altitude. As a result, the site offers a unique opportunity to study a cityand its territory from antiquity in all its aspects of bustling activity through archaeological research.

* BiGGAR Economics, 2017

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SAGALASSOSTHE WORLD’S LARGEST BANANA COLLECTION

ANGIOGENESIS

KU LEUVENOude Markt 13 bus 5005

3000 LEUVEN, Belgiëwww.kuleuven.be

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